Improvement in machinery for ascending and descending inclined planes



` toemploy the i'nll ated in the boiler notwithstamlingr the reduced motion of the train while .which is located on that grip the central rails with into driving-wheels they PAiENT OFFICE.

or tIXtfiNAZx'iI, onto.

t `-lMPR0Vl-IhrlENT lN MACHINERY FOR ASCENDING AND DESCENDING INCLINED PiAANES.-

To all Awhom. it may concern: -V

Bc it known that l, (leonor: Escoi, Sizun uns, of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State ol' Ohio, have invented certain new and useful improven-lents in the -mauncr of constructing and arranging certain parts ofrailways, locomotivesengines, and cars, so as to enable the engine and cars to overcome the resistance of heavy grades on the road., and to ascend and descend thereon with facility andsecurity; and ido herebydeclare that the following is a tnll and exact description thereof. t

The object oi`.my invention is to obtain the requisite adhesion to enable the locomotiveengine and its train of cars to ast-end and descend inclined planes with safety and certaint t'o avoid the expense of heavy grading or eircnitous routes, and to enable the engine torce of ascendingr inclined planes. The nature of the first part of my invention by which I obtain these important ends consists, iirst, in the employing o'f the ,fgmvitatiilg force of t-he train of cars, either in ascending or descendingnr such planes. to give the requisite adhesion in lauch manner as that the adhesion shall increase ot' the train, this being obtained by the conY necting ofthe train with grippingfwheels on the locomotive that embrace a central rail,

where high grades are to be overcome. These gripping-wheels on ascending or descending inclined planes are made. to become driving wheels, they-having their bearings in levers connected together by two opposing togglejoiiitstliat are opera-ted on by the connecting-` ascending the gravity ofv thetrain shall operate'on cne oi` link of the train, so that in the toggles, and thereby-.canse the wheels j to a force proportioned to thegravitating'torce` to li4;ti\ei' 2oixie,

Y and so that indescending the conncctinglink shall operate en the other toggle to produce a liketeifect. To convert the gx'ippiiig-wliccls are operated on by an auxiliary pair of steam-cylinders of snch capacity aseliectuall y to work olf. in cninnction with theordinarycylinders, the'steain generated in the boiler driving the slow mothe steam gcnerin proportion to the inclination ot' the plane and the weight 5 part ol' the track only creased in 5,367,1latrd einher ittici-1T.

clined plane.

The Second part of my wheels with a spring in such manner as that its tension lshall canse the wheels to grip the central rail, and thus enable the locomotiye to ascend and descend inclined planes without a train, or with a train that is too light to produce the requisite adhesion. or in the event of any accident to thc connections which might prevent the employment of thegravitating force to eil'ect this end. and also at the saine time to admitoi` the lateral play of the loro motive. t A

The third pari; ot' my invention consists in 4the manner ot' communicating motion to theI grippingwheclsi'rom a horizontal crankshaft, the grippingwhcels being allixcd to vertical axles, and this is effected by iueans of evel wheels that slide on the crank-slant, being feathered thereon, and each oi' them being,r forced toward the bevel-wheelsthat are aiiixed to theuppercnds ot' theshal'ts ofthe grippingwheels by ineans'of a spring or springs, the wheels being kept at their proper pitch by lievel-i`aced wheels that make a part ot' or are connected with cach ofthe beveled cog-wheels, by which arrangement the llocomotive will be -t'rec to vibrate on the track-- rails laterally, while the gripping-wheels act on the central v rail.

' The fourth partof my invention relates to ascltacting brake, which is intended to prevent accidents in the event of the breaking or s 1paiatiiig ot`the links by which the respective parts of the train are connected together. 'lliisbrake consists of a pair ot' jointed grippers connected to each car by the longer ends of its levers'fand held up Clear oi the central -rail by a chain which is connected with the bolt of an additional link, and which. when thc main link separates,liberales thcgrippers,

which'thcn fall, so as to canse their jaws to embracethcicentral rail, upon which the gripping-wheels ot' the locomotive operate, said grippcis having their bite upon the rail inproportion to the descending force ofthe cars.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure l. is :i side elevation oi' a locomotivcaud caralrawn to a scale ot' one inch tothe foot. 1-`ig'.2 is an end'view of the central rail7 drawn to the full inventionl consists in the connecting of tlie'lcvers of the grippingv cated on the drawings.

.joints I If. Fig. L

l plane.

size ot" those used on l'the road. The other Iigures represent partsof theapparatnsm detail,`the proportionate size of which is indi- I itea'ch ot'tt'licseligures wherethesannepar:s occur they are designated by the `same letters of reference. I

:A A is the central rail` which must he se cured e1n place in the-lirmest manner. It is to rise to suclrhcight abovezthe ordinary rails -as that its top muy be within about two inches of the tireliox,A and to accoiuiumlatc it l make the aslrpan in two p arts,'so as to pass `on C'ltllet.' Side' of lt.`

Ill

gmvitating power of. the load which is to be overcome. These "ripping-wheels'are acted ou in the following manner:

' feather on the shaft (T. and these gear into two beveled wheels, ll l'. that trecounectedy bymeans of shafts F l" .-1-`i;. Il, with the gripping-` wheels l I3, to which they c omunlnicate their revolving motion. Theshal'tsF F'passthrongh .Strongboxes (i (i, Figs. l and il, on the in ner ends of the levers lill. lwhich 'on their outer ends carry the progressive levers `or toggfsfleA fnlernni-pins .l .l i u the frame of the locomotive. f

In order to canse the teeth of tinI wheclsD nud .E to gear into cach other preciselyto thtl -pitc-lrline, I turn plain surfaces on them, as

shown at (1.a. which coming into contact produce this eleet. -They are.. kept.in gear by Vmeansot' a .spiral spring. K. that surround,` the shaft (Y. while they arc free to vibrate lat-V erally 'with the vibration of the `levers on their fulcro J J. To prevent the possibility ofthe bevelwheels hein.;r forced ont-ot' gear, their tubularhubs, which sa rron ud thc shaft (7' t?, are

so nearly in contact with each other -as to pre vent this taking place, no greater space beingr left between them than is necessary to allow' for the. unavoidable inequality ia the thickness ofthe center rai'l.

L iS a Sliding bar by which the engine is to .be drawn and that receives the Al'nlera of the toggle-joints I and l', and operates upon one "ortho other of them, according as the enc-inc is ascending or descending on the inclined gine is' running on the ordinary grade, a bolt, M, is passed through the t'nnne ol' the machine and through a corresponding hole inthe slide L. The toggle-joiuts, it will be seen, areiu are :rippingfwhecls, which are made -to press against the oppositesidcs-Zof the rails A with a degree otv force proportioned to the The levers Il II' work on When this is :ot the case and the en- `reversed directions, and that marked I is brought into operation when the train is asccnding, and 4that mark-ed I when it is descendi ngi When 'the locomotive has advanced to that part ol the road .-wherethe-ccntral rail situated and ,the grippiiig-rollers have received it bct\\'- n them, the -bolt )I is to be rc.-m o 'ed. so as to bring the whole force of the draft onto the slide L, and ifthe locomotive is ascending.; the toggle l will pref thc grippinfjr wheels against lheecntral rail, and-if descending; a like cll'ect will be -producedby the toggle I'. The openings in theslide L. through which the connectingpins' of the toggle pass', are elongated to allow oueor the other of them to be brought into action.

In ordcrto apply the steam with thc forciA required for ascendinl,r the' inclined plane, I employ a second pair of steaurcyiimlers, one ot' which is shown at X, Fig. 1. .lhe pistons of these cylinders are to operate upon-,the shaft t by means of the connectingrods (land when 'the valve isdrawn, which is to admit Steam -nary speed. the quantity ot' stt-am expended will not be decreased, bat will be used with ...its Whole .effect ive force'.

When it is wished to operate upon 'thel grip-A ping-wheels independcptly of the weight or resistance of the train, a. lever maybe allixed, so as to operate by hand'on thc slide Lg'but I intend in general to provide for this contingency by the employment of a small cylinder, Ainto which steam may be admitted fo'r that purpose. Such cylinder may be situated. as

represented by the red lines in Fig. 4, where l is lhocylindcr, the piston of which nced not.

lhave a 'stroke of more than live or six-inches.

Thisis colmetfted with the boiler by means of a tube, Q. leading,r to the steamways 1li, which may be furnished with a three-way cock, li)- mcans of which steam may be let into thecylinder, so as to operate o n the piston at either' end, and consequently on the toggles., either in asccuding or t-lesc'ci1di:ig,tlie pistoneud of the cyliudcrI beinl` connected with the slide l.. ily this means the grippiugwheels are pressed against the'rail bythe elastic medium. steam, andare made to adjust themselves to its inequalities more perfectly than could be effected by a spring ofstccl orotlier material.

The brakcs on the tender or carsareso constructed and arranged as to be made to embrace the center rail should the link by which they are connected with the locomotive or with each other bebroken when ascending the'l inclined plane, `and the said brakes are thus necessarily combined with the apparatus re- .tlnired for the ascent of the locomotive. Fig. l one ofthese brakes and its appurtenances are shown as attached to a car, and in' Fifrs. 5 

